It was then Ares could hear the drumming. He turned back to look to see Anka was playing the drums. Had she been playing that entire time? Ares wondered just exactly why he didn’t hear them. He was sweating profusely. ‘What the hell? What’s wrong with me?’ He looked towards the enemy lionfolk, who were stuck in shock from the splattered remains of their leader.

Then the howling and yipping began as the hoard of hyenafolk began their descent onto the scraps of lionfolk, broken and shaken now that their leader was so easily taken care of. A few flung themselves towards Ares, roaring at him with tears blocking their eyes.

Ares, with the heaviest heart, struck them down with his spear. Everything was a blur, he had no idea what they were doing, nor what he was doing. He finally raised a hand and then raised a large wall of earth to surround himself and his allies.

He could hear the slaughter outside. The squelching, the screaming, the shouting, the crying, the slashing. Ares couldn’t block out the sounds and the lack of sight only caused it to compound even louder through his already heightened senses. He fell back and sat there.

A hand came to his shoulder as Emerli grabbed onto him, pulling him to a gentle embrace. She pulled him in even closer and then brushed his sweaty cheek with her tender hand. He closed his eyes as the people around him spoke to one another, trying to gather his attention though he was unable to hear them.

“Ares,” said the low voice softly.

His ears twitched and perked up. He looked to Emerli as she stared into his eyes with a worried gaze.

“Yes?”

“You are sick?”

“Yes… yes I am,” Ares said. He then reached up to rub his eyes, shaking his head. “I’m fine, sorry for worrying you.” He said as he stood up, looking back to his Storm Seven.

The battle outside continued to rage on, but Ares looked to his allies. Then his face softened and he laughed.

“Is something the matter?” Azzo asked as he and Kask shared a look with one another.

“I just realised. You’re my Storm Seven, but there’s only six of you,” Ares said. He continued to laugh as tears filled his eyes, though he wasn’t so sure why he was laughing entirely.

“There are seven of us,” Teorn said. “Seven total.”

Ares then howled even louder with laughter, the sounds echoing off the walls as he nodded. “That’s right! That’s right!” His tears flowed down his face. “I’m one too!”

Emerli embraced him tighter as Ares suddenly gathered himself. He hugged her tight and then looked up towards the wall he had formed. No one had tried to climb it but he supposed they had bigger worries.

Ares then stepped away from Emerli but she kept him close. Ares turned to look at her as she hid her head in his chest. He brushed the top of her head. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back in a moment.” He still felt cold but now he was a little more clear headed.

He still couldn’t believe he had done such a thing to another person. No doubt they had their reasons to behave in such a way. He had a great power but here he was abusing it. Was he no better than those that had ruled over his life in his past life?

The guilt sank deep within him. Ares shook for a moment, unable to really gather much strength in his legs, before he leapt up onto the earth wall.

He watched as the arrows rained down from afar, a few of the hyenafolk had engaged in melee with the lionfolk, but the hyenafolk had caused the battle to move from where he was to a nearby spot.

Ares inhaled, trying to gather some breath but he could taste the bile. He rinsed out his mouth, spat out and then leapt into the air and turned into a phoenix. His white and gold flames rushed along with him towards the mass of arrows that had rained down on the enemy.

He had originally wished to be a third party to watch before he was forced to engage, but even now perhaps he could do more. Ares took the arrows into his flame body and then swirled in the air to destroy the arrows. He could have easily shifted them away, but with this his stated intentions were far more obvious. He dropped down in front of the lionfolk turning so his back was to neither side. He raised a hand on either side.

“I’m going to ask you both to settle down,” Ares said. He inhaled deeply. “Since I have been forced into this confrontation, I will take part in it. I will ask that both sides take a moment to discuss the situation.”

A lionfolk tried to fling herself at him, but the woman was stopped. Another woman stepped forward.

“You killed our Chief, what business do you have in stopping us?”

“Your chief took a swing at me first. If he didn’t want to die, he shouldn’t have tried to kill me. Unless you’re saying that right now I can attack you and expect no retaliation in return.”

The lionfolk woman growled but did not respond otherwise.

“I will say that I am ashamed of my behaviour. I am quick to enter the fray, a little too quick. For that I will apologise. The way I killed your chief was particularly brutal as well, and for that I will apologise as well. I ask for a parlay, just to chat.”

The lionfolk woman threw a look towards the remains of their leader and then back to Ares. She nodded her head, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at him.

“I will agree to the de-”

Ares raised a hand as another lionfolk stepped forward behind her, spear in hand. He had thrust the spear towards her but found that the spear had disappeared.

The woman turned to face the man, half in shock, but then the pair grappled one another.

“You would give your pride so easily?” The man roared as the woman struggled against him.

“You!” She grabbed at his wrists as best she could.

Ares stepped forward, throwing a glance back towards the hyenafolk who seemed to be watching with curiosity. He then grabbed onto the man’s wrists, and like unwinding a paper clip, pulled him away from the woman.

“It looks as though you have your own issues to deal with. May I ask who your leader is at this moment in time?”

Several lionfolk, including the pair near him all claimed to be such.

“Well, let’s sort that out shall we?”